Prospective International Students
Current international students please click here>>
Prospective International Students
Welcome! We're glad you've found us and hope to have you join our growing international community. The number of international students at CIIS has grown steadily in recent years, with between 75-100 students enrolled in our undergraduate and graduate programs in each semester. International students make up about 10 percent of CIIS's total student body. We currently have students representing more than 25 countries and six continents.
CIISis strongly committed to international education and to providing quality support and services for international students. Jody O'Connor, the International Student Advisor, is here to assist with the student visa process and preparing to study in the United States. Once a student, the International Student Advisor also serves as a resource for immigration regulations, ESL and academic writing workshops, and to help international students adjust to life in the U.S. An outline of the process from applying to beginning your studies with us is outlined in the International Student Addendum.
For program-specific or admission questions, please be in touch with the Admissions Counselor for your program of interest.
On this page:
Who is an international student?
Additional International Application Requirements
International Student Financial Aid
External Sources of Funding
Who is an international student?
For purposes of admission to CIIS, international students are defined solely on their citizenship/residency status. If a student does not hold citizenship or permanent residency in the United States, the student is classified as an international student. CIIS assists students for the F-1 student visa application only. Students in other eligible non-immigrant visa classifications are eligible to apply to and pursue a degree at CIIS.
Additional requirements for international applicants
Each degree program at CIIS has specific application requirements. The final pages of the admissions application outline the specific requirements for each program. If you need further clarification about the materials requested, please contact the admissions counselor for the specific program to which you are applying.
In addition to the general application requirements, international students are asked to submit the following:
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) Report
International applicants for whom English is not their native language are required to take the TOEFL. Applicants must achieve a minimum total score of 80 on the internet-based test, 213 on the computer-based test and 550 on the paper-based test. Exceptions are made for students who have earned their Bachelor of Arts degree from an English-language university. The CIIS TOEFL code is 4807.
Additional Information may be obtained by contacting Educational Testing Services at www.toefl.org.
Foreign Credential Evaluation
All transcripts from schools outside the United States must be sent, at the applicant's expense, to World Education Services (WES) foreign credential evaluation service. A detailed "Course-by-Course" report is required for all programs and will be used in lieu of the CIIS application requirement for original transcripts.
Students who attended Canadian colleges or universities are not required to have a foreign credential evaluation completed. Canadian students should have a set of original transcripts, in English, sent directly to the Admissions Office from all previously attended institutions.
The evaluation service accepted by CIIS is:
World Education Services
Bowling Green Station
P.O. Box 5087
New York, NY 10274-5087
(212) 966-6311 or www.wes.org
The Admissions Office will accept foreign credential evaluations from other services in some cases, but additional materials may be required of applicants. Please contact the Admissions Office for further clarification at admissions@ciis.edu.
Financial Aid for International Students
For many international students, finding the resources to fund an education in the United States is a fundamental concern. CIIS has a commitment to assisting international students through our scholarship and work-study programs. In recent years, more than 85 percent of all international students received partial support through CIIS, but often students must find additional sources of support. International students are not eligible for United States federal or state financial aid.
CIIS Scholarships
International Student Loans
CIIS Employment
External Sources of Funding
CIIS Scholarship Opportunities
CIIS Scholarships for incoming international students are for two years (four semesters-fall and spring). Scholarship recipients must maintain satisfactory academic progress and full time course load as defined by the Institute. You can find more information about CIIS scholarships here.
The average scholarship awards are $2,000-$3,000 per year for MA and PhD levels respectively. All students will be notified of their award by email up to 4 weeks after your acceptance and may consider this amount on their Certificate of Funding form required for obtaining the SEVIS form I-20. Recipients must pay the balance of tuition costs and all their living expenses throughout the duration of their studies at the Institute.
International Student Loans
There are limited opportunities for you to obtain a private alternative loan. Most U.S. lenders require you to have a U.S. citizen or permanent resident with a valid alien registration card as a co-signer.
CIIS Employment
CIIS offers work-study for both domestic students as well as international students. Campus jobs are not guaranteed, but in past years as much as 21% of all campus jobs were held by international students in a semester. Please visit the current international students page of the CIIS website to review student visa regulations for employment.
External Sources of Funding
CIIS recognizes the limited scholarship award amounts available to our students. For additional information and other possible scholarship opportunities for international students, please see the short list below and the document Financial Aid Resources for International Students.
http://www.iie.org/fulbright
http://www.oas.org/rowe (For students from Latin America or the Caribbean)
http://www.rotary.org/foundation/educational/
http://www.fastweb.com
Please help us update this list us with any websites that you have found in your searches. Contact International Student Advisor at joconnor@ciis.edu.
